JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 2020 - Job Training Center

JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER — 2020
  COMMUNITY COORDINATOR REPORT—JOB TRAINING CENTER                                                 Q1—2020

 Jobs Posting Numbers Grow as County Goes on the Watch List in August

 In late August, Tehama County was put on the Governor’s Watch List as
 COVID-19 case numbers tipped over the threshold. At the same time, July              Tehama County
 and August saw a rise in numbers of local employers seeking talent.                Unemployment Rate
 “From manufacturing to retail, businesses are hurting to find workers,” said        July 2019 / 6.1%
 Kathy Garcia, who oversees the incoming job postings. “We’re trying to fig-        August 2019 / 5.4%
 ure out if job seekers are needing to stay home with their children, afraid of
 COVID-19 or waiting to see what will happen with their old job.”
                                                                                          ———
 In July of 2019, JTC received 113 job postings compared to 124 during the
 same time period of 2020.                                                          Unemployment Rate
                                                                                     July 2020 / 11.1%
 “The good news is that there are jobs.” said Garcia. “The bad news is that
 there are very few job seekers showing up.”                                        August 2020 / 8.8%

Business Recovery Task Force Gives Away
Masks and Hand Sanitizer
In late April, Job Training Center’s Kathy Schmitz started a
Business Recovery Task Force to share information and
secure additional resources and technical assistance for
struggling businesses. The group is made up of government,
private sector, non-profits, public health and more. The first
action item was working with Chabin Concepts and NoRTEC
to put out a regional business survey to assess the economic
impact and identify needs.

In July, the group coordinated a mask and hand sanitizer giveaway
for small businesses in Tehama County, thanks to the California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) in collabora-
tion with the Governor’s Office of the Small Business Advocate
(CalOSBA).

Corning’s Tony Cardenas and JTC’s Kathy Garcia lead the effort
with coordination via 3CORE in Chico. Tehama County received
over 20 pallets of product. In all, 19 counties received the supplies.

Purpose Statement: The task force will develop actions that government and busi-
ness can take to help Tehama County recover as fast and as safely possible from
the COVID-19 induced recession with a focus on those hardest hit by the pandemic.

Job Training Center at Latino Outreach’s Health & Wellness Car Hop
Despite a pandemic and a smoke issue, Latino Outreach of Tehama County and Anthem Blue Cross were able to host
the annual Health Faire as a Health & Wellness Car Hop in Corning on September 19. Three JTC staff attended to give
out information on jobs, training and the 2020 Census.

Jess Elshere, LOTC Board President shared on Facebook: “We had just over 60 vehicles come through and 1 MOM
WALKING WITH TWO KIDS IN A WAGON!! We counted people in the vehicles at 120 with the last couple cars that
came through. Great turnout given the pandemic, smoke from fires, and not being able to send flyers through the school
districts”.

     JTC Intern (pictured left) worked at the Tehama Together booth. Job Training Center’s Adrian Hernandez, Sandra Estrella and
                               Connie Ocampo manned a JTC Booth (pictured far right) at the outside event.

Emergency Grant Funds COVID-19 Positions at Schools

The onset of COVID-19 changed business and school as usual in 2020.
In late Spring the Job Training Center received an emergency grant to
help place those whose jobs were affected by COVID-19 in jobs doing
COVID-19 related work. A placement in May at Tehama Together
helped the non-profit with food program coordination throughout
the summer.

In August, seven local schools were able to open in person, five days a
week. JTC worked to recruit workers to help with a whole host of new
protocols and safety measures now required. From temperature checks
and bus monitoring, to cleaning and hand wash monitoring, these posi-
tions help school staff focus on academics and connecting with students
they haven’t seen in five months.

In September, two workers were placed at Lassen View School in Los
Molinos. After just a few days, the school was exceedingly pleased with
the extra help. Three more are completing the process to start at other
schools in October.

Community Foundation of the North State Funds Tehama County Efforts

Community Foundation of the North State (formerly Shasta Regional
Community Foundation) has been increasing its presence and gener-
osity to Tehama County. For the last several years, they have in-
creased the North State Giving Campaign to include Tehama County
and Amanda Hutchings, Director of Community Impact, has really
made an effort to connect with local nonprofits and programs. This
summer she joined the Business Recovery Task Force.

In response to COVID-19, the Foundation established a special fund to
help with local efforts. This summer, they gave to Expect More Tehama
to help with a Public Health education campaign. They also funded the
Job Training Center $25,000 to assist with business outreach and as-
sistance programs and delivered the check in person.
                                                                               Pictured left to right: Foundation CEO Kerry
“Tehama County is honored to have this Foundation’s support,” said             Caranci, JTC CEO Kathy Schmitz and Director of
Job Training Center CEO Kathy Schmitz. “Huge thanks to their Board             Community Impact Amanda Hutchings
and team.”

Job Training Center Client Moves from Business Closure to New Position
Job Training Center’s Connie Ocampo works with all kinds of clients looking to increase their skills. This quarter, one
client was an English language learner who had previously worked for Lucero Olive Oil in Corning as a warehouse labor-
er. She was laid off from her job when the company announced it would be closing in 2019. At that time, she was earn-
ing $12.50/hr. Earlier in her work history, she had worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant for 10 years out of the area. She
had always had an interest in healthcare, but she could not return to working as a C.N.A due to the physical demands.

Earlier this year, JTC assisted her through the Dislocated Worker program with retraining as a Medical Assistant through
the Glenn Career Technical Education (CTE) training program. In June 2020, she successfully completed the MA pro-
gram and is in the process of taking her state exam for certification. In the meantime, she secured employment as a Bi-
lingual MA at Ampla Health in Los Molinos and will be earning $18.00/hr.

Connie’s client was thrilled to be offered a job in a field she enjoys. But most of all she was grateful for the opportunity to
pursue training and earn wages she never thought she would be earning.

Clients Train to Fill Need for Drivers
Tehama County is always a hot spot for transportation positions with manufacturing, distribution centers, logging and
cattle always needing drivers.

   A client being served as an adult client successfully completed American Truck School’s 4 week Truck Driver Train-
     ing program in Redding on 09/28/20. He began work on the ZOGG fire the very next day.

   A client who is being served as a Dislocated Worker successfully completed American Truck School’s 4 week Truck
     Driver Training program in Redding on 07/30/20. He secured full time employment at Crain Walnuts as a seasonal
     truck driver in September at 50+ hours a week and $24 per hour.

Job Seekers Continue to be Scarce
While the pandemic continued to strain many businesses through-
out this quarter, especially in hospitality and entertainment, all oth-
er sectors struggled to find job seekers in the North State.

“We’re not sure if it’s due to lack of childcare, the need to help with
schoolwork, fear of COVID-19 or being comfortable on unemploy-
ment,” said Business Services Manager Kathy Garcia. “But job
seekers are scarce. The worry is that our businesses can’t thrive
long-term without more workers.”

Businesses have been offering hiring bonuses, raising wages, and
setting up booths around the county looking for workers. Social
media is filled with job postings.

In late September, Kathy Garcia taped a podcast with Public
Health Officer Dr. Wickenheiser discussing employment concerns
this Fall and Winter. Dr. Wickenheiser advised businesses to be
ready to answer candidate concerns about protections at the
worksite. He shared that businesses that follow the protocols
have done well thus far. He also urged everyone to get the flu
shot this year.

“The silver lining in all of this might be a better job for those who
want to move up, but this is their time right now,” said Garcia.

Business Engagement in Q1
Job Training Center works with businesses throughout Tehama County on recruitment efforts, HR issues, hiring events,
labor market information and more. This quarter, staff worked with the following:

A&R Meats, Alcatraz Restaurant and Taqueria, Andersen and Sons, Atlas HR & Staffing, Best Western Antelope Inn, Bianchi
Orchards, Bickley’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Bud’s Jolly Kone, Business Connections, California Department of Corrections,
CaptiveAire, Cardan Aircraft Painting, Casa Serenity, C.H.I.P., Circle 7, City of Red Bluff, Comfort Keepers, Comfort Suites, Compass
LLC, Corning Chevron Station, Corona Transportation, Del Taco, Denny’s, Dr. Datu, Durango RV Resort, DW Cabinetry, DW Powder
Coating, El Camino Irrigation District, EcoShell, Empower Tehama, Evoqua, Express Personnel Pros, Fastenal, Field to Fork, From
the Hearth, G&R, Glenn County Office of Education, Growney Motors, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express Corning, Holiday
Inn Express Red Bluff, Inspired Residential, Jewel Residential Inc., Job Training Center, Jorge’s Transportation, Julio’s Satellite,
Kanela’s Café, Lane Tractor Sales, Lassen House, Lassen Medical Clinic, Lassen View School, Lenihans Residential Care, Lentec,
Lighthouse Living Services, Loves/Speedco, M&M Ranch House Restaurant, Metro by T-Mobile, Mt. Lassen Transportation, Mt.
Lassen Trout Farm, NCCDI, North State Security, North Valley Services, Northern Oaks, Ohana House, Once Home Always Home,
Paratransit, Park Planet, PCM, PJ Helicopters, Puckett, Red Bluff Health & Fitness, Red Bluff Elementary Union School District,
REACH, Red Oaks Medical Group, Reeds Creek School, RES Environmental Services, Resource Conservation District of Tehama
County, Resources for Rural Community Development, Inc., Restpadd, River Oaks HOA, Riverside Landscape, Rock R, Rolling Hills
Casino, Ron’s Body Shop, ROSS Dress for Less, R-Wild Horse Ranch, Sacred Heart Preschool, Sail House, Select Harvest USA,
SERRF Afterschool Program, Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, Sierra Pacific Industries (Millwork), Sierra Pacific Industries (Red
Bluff), Sierra Pacific Industries (Windows), Silva Landscaping, Sparrows Landing, Starbucks (Adobe), Sunsweet,
Super 8, Travel Center of America, Tehama County Department of Education, Tehama County, Tehama County Health Services
Agency, Tehama County Public Works, Tehama County Sheriff’s Department, Tehama Floral Company, Teresa Asato OD, The Plus
Group, Timios, Top Notch Commercial Cleaning, Tremont Café, Valley Vet Clinic, Villa Columba, Visser Advisors, VOLT, Walmart
D.C., WestHaven

Unique Partnership Seeks to Keep Tehama County
                                  COVID-19 Cases Low
                                A unique partnership formed this summer to support the efforts of Tehama County Public
                                Health and the education community. Expect More Tehama, in partnership with Kate & Co.
                                and with support the Community Foundation of the North State, launched a county-wide
                                movement called Love Local. The movement uses marketing tools to help strengthen commu-
                                nications about COVID-19 while encouraging residents to lead by example.

                              “The power to reduce COVID-19 in Tehama County is in all of our hands,” said Minner Sagar,
     Tehama County Public Health Director. “Our strength has always been the ability to work together. We can keep busi-
     nesses and schools open if we all do our part to keep the virus rate down.”

     Two highlights of the Love Local movement include a weekly Wednesday podcast featuring Public Health Officer
     Dr. Wickenheiser and a robust social media campaign sharing both data and stories.

     The Love Local campaign is nonpolitical and is solely focused on encouraging everyone to work together to keep
     Tehama County with low COVID-19 cases. The campaign will provide timely data and stories through a local lens.

     “Tehama County small businesses are struggling to stay afloat and schools are working tirelessly to stay open safely,”
     said Kathy Garcia of Expect More Tehama. “Public Health is wearing so many hats. We are proud to support all of their
     efforts to keep this county going.”

     To learn more, visit Expect More Tehama on Facebook. The October 7th podcast topic is on employment.

     Podcasts are released at noon on Wednesdays. To view earlier podcasts, visit:

        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExpectMoreTehama/videos/

        YouTube: https://youtu.be/P1p0Wuutv58

        Podbean (audio): http://lovelocal.podbean.com/

Restaurants, Gyms, Movie Theater and Bowling Alley’s Feeling the Pinch
The COVID-19 has definitely taken its toll on restaurants and enter-
tainment this quarter.

    Restaurants scrambled to provide take out or provide outside
      seating, but several chose to close their doors for the time being.
    Prime Cinemas, the Red Bluff movie theater, started a Go-
      fundme account to keep afloat and then decided to also invest
      in equipment to allow for outdoor movies to be shown in the
      parking lot. Their first outdoor movies were shown Labor Day
      weekend. They are now also showing some indoor movies and
      some virtual screenings.
    Both bowling alleys, one in Red Bluff and one in Corning, were
      forced to close, at least for now.
                                                                              Outdoor movie goers enjoying Back to Future

Three Part Social Marketing Series Concludes in July
   One of the major needs across the northstate has been an accelerated education on social media know how for small
   businesses hit hard by the pandemic. This summer, NoRTEC contracted with Tehama County’s Kate & Co. to produce
   three videos directed at businesses needing to utilize social marketing tools in more strategic ways. The videos were mar-
   keted throughout the region and featured on Facebook Premier on June 30, July 7 and July 14th.

                                                                The first two videos were focused on content, planning and
                                                                photography tips. The final video featured a variety of busi-
                                                                nesses located throughout the region that each do some-
                                                                thing particularly well. From live video streaming, to events,
                                                                interviews and other hacks, each business shared their
                                                                unique tips.

                                                                “The series was widely shared and made the process less
                                                                intimidating,” said Business Services Manager Kathy Garcia.

                                                                   JTC Receives Funding for Last Push
                                                                   of Census Campaign Effort

                                                                   Work continues to ensure that Tehama County residents
                                                                   are counted in the 2020 Census.

Goni Completes Dynamic Certification                               As of October 5, Tehama County had
                                                                   a 63.4% complete count. The dead-
Case Management Course                                             line for self response has been
                                                                   extended though October 2020.
In September, JTC’s Christi Goni completed a Dynamic Certi-
fication Case Management course. The 7-week virtual course         In September, JTC received an additional $5,000 to
covered Person Centered Planning, Motivational Interview-          continue active outreach for the Census. It enabled staff
ing, SMART Goals, Case Note Excellence, Resume & Inter-            to participate in the Health & Wellness Car-Hop in Sep-
view 101, Job Matching & Recruiting, Cultural Competency,          tember where they distributed Census materials and
Unconscious Bias, Trauma, and Self-care. In September,             spoke to approximately 70 families. Bilingual staff were
Goni also completed Brain-Based Approach to Understand-            able to address concerns and questions from numerous
ing & Working with Survivors of Trauma.                            individuals with limited English Speaking skills.

Tehama County Employer Advisory Offers Online Trainings
The TCEAC meets most third Thursdays of the month at the Tehama County Department
of Education. However, for the time being, sessions are being provided via Zoom.
Over 100 businesses and agencies are currently members.

      July & August: No Meeting

      September 2: Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

      October 1: Wage and Hour Law

For membership information, visit: https://www.ceac.org/region-1/tehama-county-eac/membership/

Staff Zoom Meetings, Webinars
7/9       Kathy G. facilitated the Tehama County Elder Services Coordinating Council Planning Meeting

7/14      Ruth H. attended the 2020 Mid Year Labor Law Update

7/16      Christi G. attended the Tehama County Tripartite Exec Board Meeting

7/17      Kathy G. facilitated the Tehama County Nonprofit Roundtable Meeting

7/20      Various staff attended the Economic Update with Dr. Eyler & Chabin Concepts

7/27-30   Various staff attended the UNIDOS U.S. Conference

7/30      Workforce Accelerator Fund Brain-Based Approach to Understanding & Working with Survivors of Trauma

7/30      Various staff attended The Power of Three Webinar Series: Maximizing Business Engagement to Support
          Re-employment.

8/3       Christi G. attended the Tehama County Veteran’s Collaborative Meeting

8/5       Kathy G. gave an business services update at the Homeless Coalition Online meeting

8/6       Various staff attended the NoRTEC BSR Meeting

8/10      Kathy G. attended the E2Exchange Conference with Rural on Purpose

8/12      Christi G. attended Case Management Certification Training

8/12      Sandra E. attended Customer Service Virtual Training (Express Pros)

8/20      Adrian H. and Connie O. attended Active Shooter Incident Training

8/20      Christi G. attended the Tripartite Executive Board Meeting

8/24      Various Staff attended the Economic Update with Dr. Robert Eyler & Chabin Concepts

9/10      Christi C. attended Career Advising Fundamentals

9/17      Christi Goni attended the Tripartite Board Meeting

9/17      Various staff attended the North State ACES Conference

9/19      Adrian H., Connie O. and Sandra E. at Latino Outreach Drive Thru Health Car Hop

9/22-24   Connie O., Kathy S., and Kathy G. attended a 3-day Accelerator Week Virtual Community of Practice

9/24      Adrian H. and Sandra E. attended Using CareerOneStop to Provide Virtual Career and Job Services

9/25      Kathy G. attended the North State Together Hattway Communications Training